Recently, various technologies have emerged that allow users to experience a blend of reality and virtual worlds along a mixed reality continuum. For example, head-mounted display (HMD) devices may include various sensors that allow the HMD device to display a blend of reality and virtual objects on the HMD device as augmented reality, or block out the real world view to display only virtual reality. Whether for virtual or augmented reality, a closer tie between real-world features and the display of virtual objects is often desired in order to heighten the interactive experience and provide the user with more control.
One way to bring real-world features into the virtual world is to track a handheld controller through space as it is being used. However, some conventional controllers lack precise resolution and users end up with choppy, inaccurate display of the virtual objects. Some handheld controllers even require externally positioned cameras, tethering use of the HMD device to a small area. Similarly, some physical object tracking systems use stationary transmitters with a short transmission range, also tethering the user to a small area. Further, these physical object tracking systems often experience signal degradation toward the limits of the transmission range in addition to interference from other objects and energy sources in the environment. In the face of such degradation, the accuracy of the tracking system can become completely unreliable under various circumstances, which negatively impacts the interactive experience for the user. Further still, they often report position within one zone at a time, which can lead to problems when the object is moved between zones while temporarily located beyond the range of the tracking system.